Washington--U.S. Senator Richard Bryan said today that the Administration has decided
to go with the recommendations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in setting
radiation and groundwater standards for the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage site
rather than those standards being proposed by the nuclear industry and Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.

"I am extremely pleased the White House listened to EPA and Administrator Carol
Browner instead of the industry and their advocates on the big questions of radiation levels and
the need for a groundwater standard," Bryan said. "Nevadans have quite a bit at stake in EPA's
action today, and I am pleased that the standards are more stringent than those sought by the
nuclear power industry. These radiation standards, which limit overall exposer to 15 mrem and
establish a separate groundwater protection standard, will hopefully prove that Yucca Mountain
is not the ideal site that the nuclear power industry and the NRC would like us to believe."

The Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year had sent proposed standards for
radiation release and groundwater contamination that would have to be met before approval for a
nuclear repository site to the White House. The nuclear industry and the NRC fought the EPA
standards, arguing for a higher level of allowable radiation release and no standard for
groundwater release. The White House agreed with EPA and yesterday gave EPA the okay to
issue their proposed standards.

"The most promising news is that EPA will adhere to the same water safety standards in
the "Safe Drinking Water Act" which is one of the most important environmental protections
Congress has ever passed. It is only fair that the people of Nevada be provided a radiation
release standard no less protective than that for other, similar facilitates, such as the WIPP
facility in New Mexico. While many technical questions still remain, I am encouraged that the
EPA's action today is a step in the right direction at least on the major questions," Senator Bryan
concluded.